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Space News Today

Space News Today

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 The curated playlist of Space News podcasts from Bitesz.com...all your favourites in one feed. Space Nuts with Andrew Dunkley & Professor Fred Watson; SpaceTime with Stuart Gary and Astronomy Daily.Copyright 2024 All rights reserved. Astronomy & Space Science Nature & Ecology Science
Episodes
  • An Atmosphere That Shouldn’t Exist + 12,000 Artemis II Photos

    An Atmosphere That Shouldn’t Exist + 12,000 Artemis II Photos
    May 6 2026
    Sponsor Link: When you're ready to upgrade your online security, do what we did and get NordVPN . And right now we have a great deal for you that will save you lot's on money. There's never been a better time. To check out the deal Click Here! (https://bitesz.com/nordvpn) Wednesday 6 May 2026 | astronomydaily.io | @AstroDailyPod Episode Summary In today's episode, Anna and Avery explore six remarkable stories from across the cosmos: a tiny frozen world beyond Pluto surprises scientists with an atmosphere it should never have; NASA drops twelve thousand stunning photographs from the Artemis II mission and Artemis III preparations accelerate; Blue Origin's uncrewed moon lander Endurance passes its toughest test; new research confirms the sun actively speeds up the descent of space debris; radar-equipped drones emerge as a key tool for mapping buried Martian ice; and Comet PanSTARRS makes its debut in southern skies. Stories in This Episode 1. The Atmosphere That Shouldn't Exist Japanese astronomers have detected a thin atmosphere around trans-Neptunian object 2002 XV93 — a Kuiper Belt body just 500 km across. Published in Nature Astronomy, the discovery challenges long-held assumptions about which bodies can retain atmospheres. Possible causes include cryovolcanism or a recent cometary impact. Lead researcher: Dr Ko Arimatsu, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. 2. NASA Releases 12,000+ Artemis II Photos + Artemis III Update NASA has published more than 12,000 high-resolution images from the Artemis II mission, captured using Nikon cameras and iPhone 17 devices by the crew of Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen. The archive includes lunar far-side close-ups, Earthset images, star trails, and a solar eclipse from space. Meanwhile, the Artemis III SLS core stage has arrived at Kennedy Space Center for assembly, with a mid-2027 launch targeting a 460 km Earth-orbit docking test. 3. Blue Origin's Endurance Passes NASA Vacuum Test Blue Origin's Blue Moon Mark 1 uncrewed cargo lander (nickname: Endurance) has completed thermal vacuum testing inside Chamber A at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston. The lander is targeted for the Moon's south polar region later in 2026, carrying stereo cameras and a laser retroreflector array. MK1 informs the development of the crewed Blue Moon Mark 2. 4. Solar Activity Accelerates Space Debris Reentry A study published today in Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences tracked 17 pieces of orbital debris through three solar cycles (1986–2024). Researchers at India's Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre found that once sunspot numbers reach ~70% of their cycle peak, orbital decay rates increase sharply due to thermosphere expansion and increased drag. Lead researcher: Ayisha Ashruf. 5. Radar Drones Could Map Hidden Water Ice on Mars A new study in Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets proposes using low-flying radar-equipped drones to precisely map debris-covered glaciers on Mars. Tests on Earth's Galena Creek Rock Glacier in Wyoming demonstrated the technique can resolve the ice-debris boundary with unprecedented precision — information critical for future human missions planning to use Martian water resources. 6. Comet C/2025 R3 PanSTARRS — Now Visible from Southern Hemisphere Having passed perihelion on 19 April 2026 (at ~75 million km from the Sun) and peak northern hemisphere visibility, Comet C/2025 R3 PanSTARRS is now emerging in southern skies. Currently in Eridanus and heading toward Orion, the comet will pass within ~2° of the Orion Nebula 10–12 May. Best viewing conditions: around new moon 16 May. The comet is on a hyperbolic trajectory and will not return. Connect With Us Website: astronomydaily.io Podcast: Available on all major podcast platforms X/Twitter: @AstroDailyPod Instagram: @AstroDailyPod TikTok: @AstroDailyPod Tumblr: @AstroDailyPod Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss) . Sponsor Details: Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN . To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit You'll be glad you did! Become a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click Here (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support) This episode includes AI-generated content. Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/33126236?utm_source=youtube
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    13 mins
  • Uranus’ Ring Revelations, Africa’s Rapid Rift, and Eris Rocket Mishap

    Uranus’ Ring Revelations, Africa’s Rapid Rift, and Eris Rocket Mishap
    May 6 2026

    SpaceTime Series 29 Episode 54 *The two outer rings of the ice giant Uranus show starkly different origins Astronomers have discovered that two of the planet Uranus’s outer rings have very different compositions and so must have come from different origins. *Africa breaking apart faster than thought A new study claims Africa is much closer to being physically torn apart into two separate continents than previously thought – possibly in just a few million years from now. *Engine issues blamed for the failure of the maiden flight of the Eris rocket The investigation into the failure of the maiden flight of the Eris rocket last year has traced the problem to two of the launch vehicles hybrid rocket engines. *The Science Report Scientists have discovered a new way for some coronaviruses to infect humans. The Australian Army to get 268 more Bushmaster infantry mobility vehicles. Study warns most teens are sent sexting messages from strangers. Alex on Tech: Bad Samsung update.

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    Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/33119424?utm_source=youtube
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    22 mins
  • JWST reads alien geology, Io is FAR more powerful than we thought, and a meteor shower peaks TONIGHT

    JWST reads alien geology, Io is FAR more powerful than we thought, and a meteor shower peaks TONIGHT
    May 5 2026

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    Episode Summary In this episode of Astronomy Daily, Anna and Avery cover six major space and astronomy stories: the James Webb Space Telescope's historic first direct study of a rocky exoplanet's surface; a dramatic upward revision of Io's volcanic heat output; the release of the FLAMINGO cosmological simulation dataset; a new technique for finding planets in binary star systems; the discovery of a novel state of matter inside ice giants; and how to watch tonight's Eta Aquarid meteor shower live online. Story Links & References Story 1 — JWST Exoplanet Surface Study Nature Astronomy: LHS 3844 b thermal emission spectrum — doi.org/10.1038/s41550-026-02860-3 Space.com coverage: space.com/astronomy/james-webb-space-telescope/james-webb-space-telescope-directly-studies-an-exoplanets-surface-for-the-1st-time Story 2 — Io Volcanic Power Revised arXiv pre-print: arxiv.org/abs/2605.00100 | Phys.org: phys.org/news/2026-05-massively-underestimated-io-thermal-output.html Story 3 — FLAMINGO Dataset Release Durham University: durham.ac.uk/news-events/latest-news/2026/04/astronomers-release-gigantic-cosmological-simulation-dataset Leiden University: universiteitleiden.nl/en/news/2026/04/astronomers-release-massive-set-of-virtual-universes-for-global-research Story 4 — TESS Binary Star Planets NASA Science: science.nasa.gov/missions/tess/for-nasas-tess-stellar-eclipses-shed-light-on-possible-new-worlds Story 5 — New State of Matter in Ice Giants Nature Communications: Carnegie Institution quasi-1D superionic phase study Universe Today: universetoday.com (April 30, 2026) Story 6 — Eta Aquarid Livestreams Livestream guide: space.com/stargazing/meteor-showers/watch-the-eta-aquarid-meteor-shower-online-with-these-free-livestreams ALMA Observatory livestream available via the above link. Peak: pre-dawn May 6 AEST.

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    Become a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click Here (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support)

    This episode includes AI-generated content.

    Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/33107937?utm_source=youtube
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    18 mins
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